Surgical instruments with drop lock



March 10, 1959 G.'KEES, JR

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March 10, 1959 'G. KEES, JR I 2,876,778

SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH DROP LOCK Filed July 31. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4

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His ATTORNEYS B DES mom/5g: Ros/-50 United Stes Patent SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS WITH DROP LOCK George Kees, In, Alexandria, Ky.

Application July 31, 1957, Serial No. 675,473

7 Claims. (Cl. 128-346) This invention relates to surgical instruments for handling and applying occluding clamps in a patient for surgical operations, and it particularly pertains to those used in applying clamps for occluding aneurysms at the juncture of the arteries in the brain) The clamps need to be easily and quickly fitted in the surgical instrument to be securely gripped therein while inserted in the patient by the surgeon and then readily released after being fitted in place. In the present device, after the clamp is fitted in the end of the surgical instrument and gripped, the instrument is automatically locked in clamped position gripping the clamp and automatically unlocked by a locking means that is gravitated in and out of locking position simply by holding said instrument in the positions normally held for loading the clamp and inserting same in the patient. The locking means drops into locking position when the surgical instrument is held in normal position for loading it with the clamp, and then drops out of locking position when said instrument is held in normal position of use by the surgeon for inserting the clamp in the patient.

Accordingly, one of the main objects of the invention is a'surgical instrument which is simple in construction and efiicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is a surgical instrument in which the clamps are easily fitted in place to be gripped and automatically locked in gripped position when said instrument is held in normal position for loading the clamps in said instrument.

Another object of the invention is a surgical instrument which is automatically unlocked to release the gripped clamp when held in a normal position by the surgeon for inserting the clamp in the patient.

Another object of the invention is a clamp gripping surgical instrument having flexible resilient arms pivoted together at opposite ends.

Further objects, and objects relating to details of construction and economies of operation, will readily appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, the objects of the invention have been accomplished by the device and means set forth in the following specification. The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended claims. The structure constituting a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of a surgical instrument, embodying the invention, held in a normal position for fitting a clamp in the nipper end, and unlocked.

Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, after the clamp has been inserted in the nipper end of the instrument and the handle end squeezed, from the dotted line to the full line position, to grip the clamp and drop the lock into locking position.

Fig. 3 is a view of the clamp loaded instrument with the handle end up and the nipper end down, its normal position of use by the surgeon.

Fig. 4 is a view of the instrument, similar to Fig. 3, with the handle end squeezed to release the clamp and also the locking means to unlocking position.

Referring specifically to the drawings, in which like 5 numerals designate like parts, numeral 2 designates generally a surgical instrument, which is in the form of tweezers, comprising a pair of duplicate arms 3, 3 made from chrome plated flexible resilient steel. The arms are made from fiat material with handle portion 4, 4' horizontally disposed and the opposite end portions 5, 5' vertically disposed, there being an intermediate twist portion 6 between said arm portions. The arms are flexible and resilient.

Each of the handle ends is bent outwardly at portions 7 and 8, with an intermediate offset to provide a step or shoulder 9, and then inwardly at portion 10, terminating in end 11 that is twisted at 12 to bring its side faces longitudinally disposed. The terminal ends 11 are pivoted together at 13 and the opposite end portions 4, 4' are pivoted together at 14. The extreme terminal ends 15, opposite the handle end adjacent pivot 14, are disposed horizontally by means of the twist portion 16. The ends 15 are the nippers or grip jaws, and they are preferably bent to conformto the conformation of the shank 17 of a conventional clamp ls'sothat the clamp, to be inserted therein, is more firmly gripped. In the present instance, the jaws 15 are bent to an arcuate configuration to conform generally with the shank 17 of one conventional type clamp 18. For convenience, the bent handle ends are referred to generally by the numerals 20, 20.

The handle ends 20 and 20' of the instrument are provided with an elongated locking plate 21 having an elongated central slot 22 therein in which the bent end portions fit, said locking plate being confined between portions 8 of the bent ends 20 and 20' and stop 23 provided about where the portions 7 are bent from the arms. This stop 23 may advantageously be formed by cutting away a portion of each of the bend ends 20 and 20 so that they are of less width than the handle portions 4, 4. In the embodiment illustrated, the cut away to reduce the width of the bent ends 20 and 20 and form the stops 23 is only on one side of each arm, but it will, of course, be understood that the bent ends 20 and 20 could be cut away on opposite sides so as to provide two stops 23 on each arm. It is immaterial how the stops 23 or the shoulder portions 9 be formed. All that is necessary is that there be stops adjacent the bend ends 20 and 20' between which the locking plate 21 moves for dropping in and out of locking position when the instrument is held in its different normal positions of use. The length of the slot 22 is such that its opposite ends 24 will impinge against the shoulders or steps 9 and be frictionally held for holding the arms compressed for gripping the clamp in the nipper end of the tweezers.

From the foregoing description of the construction of the device, its use will be apparent. It is held in the normal filling position shown in Fig. 1 with the locking plate in 'unlocked position, the normal loaded position being with the handle end down and the nipper end up. A clamp 18 (Fig. 2) is fitted into the socket between the open jaws of the nipper end. The side portions 4, 4' ofthe handle end are then squeezed for gripping the clamp 18 within the nipper jaws, and this permits the locking plate 21 to drop down upon the shoulders 9, thereby automatically locking the instrument in gripping position with the clamp. Thus loaded or filled, the instrument is passed to the operating surgeon who inserts the clamp in the patient while holding said instrument in its normal position of use shown in Fig. 3 with the handle end up and the nipper end down. The arms are flexible and, in the normal use of the instrument, the handle portions are squeezed.

Patented Mar. 10, 1959" In so doing, the locking plate is released and drops down against stops 23 from locking position on the shoulders 9. As soon as the surgeon is through with the instrument, it is passed to the attendant in unlocked position ready to be reloaded or refilled with another clamp.

I am aware that there may be various changes in details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, therefore, I claim my invention broadly as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A surgical instrument for inserting occlusion clamps comprising a pair of flexible, resilient arms pivotally connected at their opposite ends for providing, opposite to a handle end, a nipper end in which the clamps are adapted to be inserted, and a locking means movably mounted between limit stops on the handle end adapted, upon squeezing the handle, to drop to locking position for the arms when the handle end is held lowermost and to drop out of the locking position when the handle end is held uppermost.

2. The surgical instrument of claim 1 in which the locking means is a slotted plate.

3. The surgical instrument of claim 2 in which the handle end is provided with bent out portions for providing means for cooperating with the locking plate.

4. A surgical instrument for inserting occluding clamps comprising a pair of flexible, resilient arms having grip jaws at one end and a bent portion at the opposite ends, an olfset shoulder between limit stop means formed on each of the bent ends, means for pivotally connecting the bent ends of the arms and also pivotally connecting their opposite ends adjacent the jaws, and a slotted locking plate loosely fitted between the bent ends of the arms and the limit stops.

5. The surgical instrument of claim 4 in which the slotted plate is adapted to hold the arms in gripping position when it is seated on the olfset shoulders.

6. The surgical instrument of claim 4 in which the locking plate is locked and released by the flexible arms.

7. A surgical instrument for inserting occlusion clamps comprising a pair of flexible, resilient arms pivotally connected to provide a handle end opposite a nipper end, locking means movably mounted on one end of the handle and adapted, upon squeezing the handles, to drop into locking position for the arms when the handle end is held lowermost and to drop out of the locking position when the handle is held up uppermost, and means for holding said locking means mounted on the handle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 462,421 Wever Nov. 3, 1891 1,108,737 Gajdos Aug. 25, 1914 2,652,832 Castroviejo Sept. 22, 1953 2,733,7l6 Roberts Feb. 7, 1956 

